
Samay Raina Gives Written Apology To Women's Panel Over Sexist Remarks
Comedian Samay Raina, who appeared before the National Commission for Women over his alleged offensive and sexist remarks during his show 'India's Got Latent', has submitted a written apology to the panel today.
Mr Raina expressed regret for his remarks, and the Chairperson of the Commission, Vijaya Rahatkar, told the comedian that it is important to maintain respect and sensitivity toward women in public forums. She asked Mr Raina to refrain from making such a statement.
His appearance before the panel follows repeated summonses issued since February. Raina and five other influencers did not attend the original hearing on February 17, citing travel and security-related constraints. The NCW rescheduled the hearing, giving them time to return to India and appear in person.
The NCW rescheduled the hearing, giving them time to return to India and appear in person.
The row started when sexist remarks were made at India's Got Lalent - a YouTube-based reality show hosted by Samay Raina. YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, known as 'BeerBiceps', made distasteful comments about parents and sex on Raina's show 'India's Got Latent'. The remarks sparked massive outrage, leading to multiple complaints against the social media personality.
Today, Samay Raina and other influencers appeared in the Supreme Court over their remarks against people with disability. Mr Raina and five others were appearing in a case that sought action against them. The remarks were made on the same show.
Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi today heard a case related to stand-up comics and podcasters, including Samay Raina, who are in trouble for controversial remarks in their shows. The influencers have been asked to respond to a petition that flagged their objectionable remarks on persons with disabilities. Sources said the court has taken serious note of these remarks.
The top court also asked Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, to prepare social media guidelines that balance freedom of speech and expression and rights of others.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Disturbing': SC asks YouTubers who joked about disabled to attend next hearing too
THE SUPREME Court on Tuesday reiterated its call for framing guidelines for social media users, balancing freedom of speech and expression with rights and duties. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said this as it heard a plea by M/s SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) Cure Foundation accusing YouTubers Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar of cracking insensitive jokes on persons with disabilities (PwDs). Complying with the court's direction during the last hearing, the five appeared before the Bench Tuesday. The Supreme Court gave them two weeks to file a counter-affidavit and directed all except Sonali Thakkar to appear again before the bench on the next date of hearing. Thakkar has been allowed to appear online. 'Respondents number 6-10 are present in court in compliance with our order. Their counsel seeks and is granted two weeks to file counter-affidavit… No further time shall be granted… Respondents 6-8 and 10 shall remain present in person on the next date as well. Any absence shall be viewed seriously. Respondent No.9 (Sonali Thakkar) is permitted to appear online,' the bench said in its order. Justice Kant said, 'Individual misconducts, which are under scrutiny, will continue to be examined. (SMA Cure) Foundation has raised serious issues. Something very disturbing.' The court is also seized of two other petitions by YouTubers Ranveer Allahabadia and Ashish Chanchlani for clubbing of FIRs lodged against them in connection with allegedly objectionable remarks made on 'India's Got Latent' show. In May, the court while hearing Allahabadia's plea to club the FIRs against him had flagged the need to put regulations in place for social media use. It also sought the assistance of Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the matter. On Tuesday, the Attorney General sought more time to assist the court. He said the question of their enforceability will have to be considered at length. Allowing the request, Justice Kant said, 'We would like to test the guidelines… You have to have guidelines which are in conformity with constitutional principles, comprising both parts — where the limit of that freedom ends, and where duties start… We would like to invite open debate on that… Members of Bar, stakeholders and all so-called stakeholders, all invited.' He sought to stress that Article 21, which deals with the right to life and liberty, would prevail over Article 19, which deals with freedom of speech and expression. 'Right to dignity also emanates from the right which someone else is claiming… Article 19 can't overpower Article 21… Article 21 must prevail if any competition takes place,' said Justice Kant. He also pointed to the need to ensure that the guidelines are not misused. 'What we are doing is for posterity. What we do should not be misused by anyone, you have to ensure that too. There has to be a balance. We have to protect citizens' rights,' Justice Kant remarked. Apology before NCW YouTuber Samay Raina appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday and submitted a written apology over remarks deemed disrespectful to women in his show 'India's Got Latent'. The NCW summoned Raina over objectionable content in the programme aired on an online platform. During the hearing before NCW chairperson Vijay Rahatkar, Raina expressed regret for his comments and assured the Commission that he would avoid such statements in the future, according to a statement. He also agreed to create content that upholds the dignity of women and spreads awareness about their rights and respect, the NCW statement said.


The Hindu
43 minutes ago
- The Hindu
TDP seeks procedural clarity, safeguards against wrongful deletions in electoral roll management
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has submitted a detailed representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday, proposing a series of reforms aimed at strengthening electoral roll management and enhancing transparency in the democratic process. Making a significant reference to the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the party emphasised the need for procedural clarity, safeguards against wrongful deletions, and respect for prior voter inclusion. The TDP leaders also suggested that the SIR process should be conducted with sufficient lead time, ideally not within six months of any major election, to ensure confidence and administrative preparedness. Stressing that the exercise should not be conflated with citizenship verification, the party has sought early initiation of the SIR in Andhra Pradesh. In a meeting convened by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar with all parties, TDP Lok Sabha floor leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu highlighted Andhra Pradesh's exemplary voter turnout of 81.86% in the 2024 general elections, far exceeding the national average of 65.79%. He urged the ECI to ensure this democratic momentum continues through timely, inclusive, and tech-driven voter roll revisions. In the meeting, TDP leaders, including the party's Andhra Pradesh unit president Palla Srinivasa Rao and MPs participated. Key suggestions by TDP The TDP has suggested that the SIR should be conducted with sufficient lead time, ideally not within six months of any major election, to ensure administrative preparedness Annual third-party audits under the supervision of CAG to identify anomalies in electoral rolls Use AI-driven tools for de-duplication, migration and deceased entries real time A time-bound grievance redressal mechanism at BLOs or EROs Standardise door numbers nationwide to strengthen electoral roll verification The other key suggestions of the party include annual third-party audits under the supervision of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India to identify anomalies in electoral rolls, use Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven tools for de-duplication, migration and deceased entries in real time, ensure a time bound grievance redressal mechanism at the Block Level Officers (BLOs) or Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and standardise door numbers nationwide as a policy measure to strengthen electoral roll verification. The TDP also suggested that Aadhaar-based EPIC number verification would help in removing duplication and replace the ink-based verification process with a biometric verification process. Participation of Parties The TDP suggested that the ECI should mandatorily involve Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from all recognised parties throughout the revision process and make pre-publication sharing of draft rolls with BLAs compulsory to enable real-time verification. The district-wise data on voter additions and deletions should be published with explanations on the ECI portal and a real-time public dashboard for tracking voter grievances and their resolution should be set up, the TDP leaders said. Legal Reforms and Accountability The TDP has also called for stricter accountability of election officials. It suggested to enforce statutory timelines and penalties for inaction or misconduct by EROs or District Election Officers (DEOs), empower the State election watch committees to function with observer status during roll revision, mandatory rotation of Block Level Officers (BLOs)/Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to prevent local influence or partisan misuse and appoint a State-level Ombudsman under ECI to handle unresolved political grievances related to the electoral rolls. It has also suggested the ECI to conduct targeted re-enrollment campaigns for migrant workers, tribal groups, elderly people, and homeless citizens, and permit temporary address declarations with basic documentation to prevent disenfranchisement of mobile populations.


The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
Solan court allows woman's plea challenging closure report in gang rape case against Haryana BJP chief
On 1 April this year, judge Malhotra admitted the revision petition and sought case records from the Kasauli court. Sessions judge Arvind Malhotra directed the Kasauli court to record the woman's statement and objections by 30 July, and decide whether to uphold the police closure report or reopen the case. Gurugram: The Solan district and sessions court in Himachal Pradesh has allowed a revision petition of a Delhi-based woman seeking to reopen a gang rape case filed by her against Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli and Haryanvi singer Rocky Mittal, alias Jai Bhagwan. The judge heard arguments from both sides 5 July and announced its order in open court Tuesday, allowing the woman's plea and ruling the complainant must appear before the Kasauli court to record her statement and submit objections by 30 July. The Kasauli court will then decide whether to proceed with the case or uphold the closure report. The case has drawn significant attention due to Badoli's position as Haryana BJP president. He was appointed to the post in July 2024, ahead of the assembly elections, relieving Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini of the dual charge. Badoli is hopeful of getting a full term in the office. ThePrint tried to reach Badoli through texts and calls Tuesday, but his number was found switched-off. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. He had earlier dismissed the woman's allegations as 'baseless' and politically motivated. The BJP Tuesday shared his pictures with party leaders including state general secretary (organisation) Phanindranath Sharma and Haryana Minister Rajesh Nagar from the Amarnath cave. On Monday, the BJP shared a press note with his pictures with other BJP leaders aboard a flight to Srinagar. Mittal told ThePrint Tuesday that his lawyers have explained to him that the Solan court's order was between the police and the woman and that it does not affect him. Also Read: Solan court admits appeal against closure report in gang rape case against singer, Haryana BJP chief 'Gangraped while visiting as tourist' The case originates from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the woman 13 December last year at the Kasauli police station in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh under Sections 376D (gang rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The allegations, which became known to public 14 January, claim that the incident occurred 3 July 2023 at the Himachal Tourism Corporation's Ros Common Hotel in Kasauli. The complainant, a Delhi resident, alleged she was visiting Kasauli as a tourist with her friend and employer Amit Bindal when she met Badoli and Mittal. According to her complaint, the accused coerced her into consuming alcohol, gangraped her in the presence of her friend, and recorded compromising photos and videos. She further claimed the duo threatened to kill her if she reported the incident and later attempted to implicate her in a false case in Panchkula to silence her. The Kasauli police investigated the case for over two months but found no corroborating evidence. According to the Kasauli police, the complainant refused a medical examination and the 17-month delay in filing the FIR hindered the collection of critical evidence such as CCTV footage, alcohol glasses or bedsheets. Consequently, on 4 February this year, the police filed a closure report, which the Kasauli judicial magistrate's court accepted on 12 March after the complainant failed to appear despite summonses issued to two addresses. Complicating the matter, Rocky Mittal filed an extortion case against the woman 6 February 2025 at Panchkula's Sector 5 police station. The FIR, lodged under Sections 308(2) (extortion), 308(5) (extortion by fear of death or grievous hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), also named Amit Bindal, another woman, and an unidentified person. Mittal alleged the complainant demanded Rs 50 lakh and political favours to settle false the rape case. He cited WhatsApp calls 21 and 22 January this year, and earlier threats between 1 and 18 September 1 last year. He claimed the rape allegations were part of a 'honey-trap' plan using audio and visual evidence. He accused the complainant of using AI-generated videos to blackmail him and Badoli. The woman, who was granted anticipatory bail 12 March by a Panchkula court, alleged the extortion case was filed to pressure her into withdrawing the rape case. She claimed the fear of arrest prevented her from attending the Kasauli court hearings 6 and 12 March this year. The complainant, represented by her advocate Rajeev Negi, challenged the Kasauli court's order on the police closure report in the Solan sessions court by way of a revision petition. Her advocate argued the extortion case was a retaliatory move by the accused to discredit her. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Haryana BJP chief, singer Rocky Mittal booked in Kasauli for gang-rape, criminal intimidation